Dreams and Nightmares the whole thing wepilogue
by Emma Flynn
Summary: Yea! I am finally done! This is the whole series so if you haven't read any of it, this will make it easier though I would suggest reading 'A Dream Come True 13' first Thanks to all of you who've read and reviewed the series. :


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A/N: I decided to post the whole thing together with the epilogue mainly because it seems more complete. Anyway there are a few people I want to thank for their help on this. Firstly I want to thank Aurelia for helping me edit, Aimee N. for the plot idea in part 3, and especially Chadley Dunswap and Enana (for the inside jokes and the inspiration). 

Most importantly however are all of you wonderful people who reviewed any part of this series so here goes: **Thanks to: **Little Witch (it's r/h now are you happy?), The Fawkster (yea! MB people), college girl (love the stories), Aurelia Darcy (you need counseling j/k), Jena Gea , Julie, Erica, Ginny Weasley, Ginny Potter, Carly, Aht, Hagrid, anonymousHPfan, Ev, emememeemme, carrie, Paz, Megan T, B, Andromeda Malfoy, everlasting why, LizZie, tangwstl, Kay, *Ginny*, wouldn't you like 2 know, George Wilcoms, Zsenya (where is the next part of your fic?), HPRules, Kat Solo, lobstergirl, Snitch, Hermione L. Granger, Alice, ~*Megnha*~, Julia, Ariel, DIVA, Chadley Dunswap and Nadia. If I left you out, sorry I tried to mention everyone who reviewed.

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Dreams and Nightmares

Part 1

As the morning sunlight crept slowly across the stone floor of the Gryffindor fifth year girls' dormitory, Ginny Weasley smiled and opened her eyes languidly. Dawn's rays had reached her face and gently ended her blissful sleep. It took Ginny all of 10 seconds to remember why she was in such a wonderful mood so early this Sunday morning. But when she did remember the events of the previous night, her smile widened, her stomach did a funny little flip flop, and her heart skipped at least one beat.

'_Harry Potter kissed me last night.' _Ginny had to cover her mouth to keep the sounds of her gleeful giggling from waking her dorm mates. '**_Oh grow up girl, it was just a kiss.' _** That second voice Ginny hated was back again. However rather than worry about her sanity, Ginny climbed slowly out of bed, got dressed and tip toed to the bathroom across the hall. She had just finished brushing her teeth, when the grinning faces of her two best friends, Cleo Holbrook and Emily Tirian, appeared in the doorway.

"Sooooo…" Cleo flashed her evil 'I'm-going-to-pester-you-endlessly-smile' as she pushed Ginny back into the bathroom and closed the door. "How's everything?"

"Fine, just dandy in fact." Ginny replied pleasantly. She knew that her best friends were about to make her spill her guts, but when the memory of kissing the boy of your dreams is still fresh in your mind it takes more than conniving, curious friends to get you down. 

"That's good." Emily said simply. 

"Oh yeah, great." Cleo continued as she smiled at Ginny.

"Alright, well now that we've got that cleared up, I'll just go down to breakfast shall I?" Ginny started to walk toward the door, but Emily and Cleo didn't let her pass.

"No." Cleo was still smiling.

"No?" Ginny asked.

"No."

"Well what will I do then?"

"Well Em and I were thinking, weren't we Em?" Emily nodded. "We were thinking that you'd fill us in on what happened after the portrait mysteriously swung shut last night." 

"Oh, is that what you were thinking?" Ginny pondered her situation. She didn't really want to tell Cleo and Emily what had happened. Though it wasn't much, she knew that she would blush furiously the entire time, which would lead to relentless teasing. But then again, they wouldn't leave her alone until she told them, so Ginny took a deep breath and prepared to be teased. "Well we talked a little."

"A really little I'm guessing," Emily muttered. Cleo sniggered.

"Ahem, I'll ignore that. Anyway after we'd talked out in the corridor for a while, we peeked inside and saw that all four of you had gone to bed, so Harry told me goodnight,"

"Kissed her goodnight is more like it," Cleo whispered to Emily. Ginny could tell that if she hadn't been ruby colored before, she was now. Harry had kissed her goodnight, but Ginny wasn't going to give Cleo the satisfaction of knowing that for sure. So she wrapped up her account of the previous night's events instead. "And then I came upstairs and Harry went to his dorm and I fell asleep."

If Cleo and Emily were going to press for more information, they were cut short. For at that moment a loud banging on the bathroom door and Meredith-Fiona Biddle's nettlesome voice interrupted the morning's peacefulness. 

"How much longer are you three going to be? Some of us need to get ready for the Hogsmeade visit!" Ginny, Cleo and Emily all frowned in annoyance. But they promptly opened the door and stepped out into the corridor.

"Finally! What in the name of Camelot could be so important for the three of you to be talking in there for so long?!" Meredith-Fiona practically screamed. She was regarding the three friends with obvious anger and exasperation.

"Oh nothing Mer-Fi," Cleo replied to the now-scowling fair-haired girl. "We were just talking to Ginny about how Harry kissed her last night."

"What?" Meredith was clearly not pleased. Evident as she had one hand covering her mouth in shock and the other grasping the door frame for support.

"Yeah. He kissed her three times! Neat huh?" Emily grinned merrily as she pulled Ginny and Cleo down the corridor toward the staircase.

"Why did you do that?" Ginny cried at her best friends. "She likes him too you know."

"Of course we know!" Cleo chirped.

"Yeah now that she knows that Harry really likes someone else, maybe she'll leave him alone. Plus if she hates you, she won't follow us around anymore. I see no negative side to this turn of events at all." Emily beamed at Ginny as they neared the bottom of the stairs.

"I do! I see a negative side! What if she tries to hex me or something?" Ginny's mind was filled with images of itching powder and her sprouting horns. She shuddered and glanced back at her two friends who were now grinning evilly again.

"Well that's what your knight in shining armor is for." Cleo whispered as she pushed Ginny across the common room where Harry was standing. He smiled as he walked towards her. Before either of them could greet the other however, Ron had sprinted across the room. He put one arm around Harry and the other around Ginny and began guiding them to the portrait hole.

"Soooo. I realize that now the two of you are a _'couple' _or something, but I feel that as your brother" he nodded at Ginny, "and your best friend" he nodded at Harry "I have a right to request some things of to two of you."

"Really?" Harry asked mockingly.

"Yes first of all I would ask that the two of you not have little snogging sessions anywhere near me" Harry snorted but then returned to looking at Ron with a serious expression on his face. Ginny for her part could only blush at the thought of kissing Harry again. "As I was saying, since Ginny is my little sister, I would ask that you not hold hands with her, kiss her, give her flowers, or do anything of the sort, at all, ever." Ron looked at both of them again. Harry was now staring at him with a disbelieving look on his face. But then he smiled and nodded. Ginny's heart fell. She was sure that Harry would laugh at Ron's ridiculous requests, but he was actually agreeing. '_Why is everything unfair?"_

**'Clearly Harry's joking Gullible Girl'**

' Oh, right.'

Ron returned Harry's nod with a complacent smile. Then he turned and began to head toward the portrait hole. Ginny was about to ask Harry something when he walked over to her. Being this close to him left her speechless sometimes.

"Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah." Harry took Ginny's hand and led her toward the portrait hole after Ron. Ron noticed immediately that they were not respecting his request.

"Hey?!" Ron sputtered as they passed and Harry and Ginny climbed through the portrait hole. Neither Harry nor Ginny responded as they strolled happily off to breakfast.

"What? You actually thought they'd listen to you?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Well yeah."

"Loser." With that Hermione too had disappeared into the corridor.

"Hey! HEY!" Ron yelled half-angrily for the second and third time that morning.

"Hay is for horses you know." Emily remarked as she and Cleo passed him.

"Oh shut up." 

"Yeah, Em leave him alone." Cleo smiled at Ron. "Silly boy is having a bad morning. He actually thought they'd listen to him."

"And why shouldn't they?"

"Well let's put it this way: If Harry asked you not to kiss Hermione, would you listen?"

"No. Wait! What do you mean by that?" But Cleo and Emily were already climbing through the portrait hole and did not respond. They were however still talking.

"You know," Emily observed, "it really is a pity."

"What?" Cleo asked.

"That Mrs. Weasley should have such a bright daughter as Ginny and such a confused, oblivious son as Ron."

"Yeah. That is a pity."

Ron glared after them. '_This is not going to be a good day.' _He thought to himself. It's sad he didn't know how right he was. 

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Dreams and Nightmares

Part 2

As it was a Sunday and a Hogsmeade visit, the atmosphere in the Great Hall that morning was very leisurely and carefree. Ginny was laughing merrily at Harry's impression of Professor Snape when she noticed her brother walking glumly into the Great Hall. Neville had just diverted Harry's attention from Ginny by allowing his toad, Trevor, to leap headlong into Harry's cereal. This resulted in milk and Cheerios splashing all over Harry.

"Harry… em! Oh no! I'm so sorry! Please, let me help…ack…wait where's Trevor? I think he leaped across the Great Hall! Oh no…" Neville continued to whimper more and more incoherently as Harry stood and tried to wipe the cereal from his robes.

"Come on Neville, I'll help you look for Trevor while I head upstairs to change out of these robes." Harry then turned those blessed green eyes toward Ginny. "I'll be right back. Don't leave without me, okay?"

"Why would I do something silly like that?" Ginny replied as she smiled up at Harry. He grinned back and kissed her lightly on the cheek before dragging Neville off to find his misplaced toad.

Since Ginny was returning from a temporary heaven, it took her a while to realize that Ron and Hermione were now screaming at each other. Ginny, however was the only one who hadn't noticed. Everyone else in the Great Hall had stopped talking as they stared at the two irate Gryffindors.

"It was a joke Ron! I joke I don't really think you're a loser! I was being sarcastic!" Hermione was looking very frustrated.

"Yeah well I don't think it was very funny." He then took on a high voice in imitation of Hermione. "Good morning Ron. Oh and by the by, you're a loser!"

"You know what Weasley?"

"What?!"

"You are the most infuriating, bull headed, inane, annoying person EVER!"

"No I'm NOT! Know why?"

"WHY?"

"Cuz _you_ are! I don't know why I was ever friends with you in the first place. I think I was right about you in our first year. You are just a know-it-all nightmare!" Ginny could tell Ron had crossed the line. '_Well more like he crossed it, then stamped on it and set it on fire.' _At this point it looked like Hermione was straining to keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes. Ginny was about to stand up and bring her back to the common room, when Professor McGonagall approached. She did not look happy.

"Weasley, Granger!" They turned to face her. "I do not even want to know what this raucous disruption is about, but the two of you need to understand something here and now. Your behaviour just now was terribly inappropriate and immature." Ron and Hermione's eyes flitted toward each other for a moment before they began to stare hard at the floor. "If you cannot behave yourselves here, I have no faith that you will be able to act your ages elsewhere. Therefore neither of you may participate in the Hogsmeade visit today. You will spend the day here at Hogwarts, learning to act grown up." McGonagall turned on her heel and stalked away.

It took Hermione all of 2 seconds to stand up and sprint out of the Great Hall, right past a very bewildered Harry, Neville, and Trevor. (Though in reality Trevor was probably not very bewildered seeing as he's a toad. They do not have the brain cells required to be bewildered. Anyway that was completely random so back to the human characters à ). Ron stood there for a moment, and then sat down as he stared off into space. By the look on his freckled face anyone who had not just witnessed his row with Hermione would have thought he was attempting to divide 3618 by 539 while thinking of something horribly sad like a whining puppy. Harry wandered over looking nearly as confused. 

"Don't ask." Ginny directed. "Ron, are you alright?"

"What…um yeah…well you have fun at Hogsmeade."

"Aren't you coming?" Harry asked, looking even more worried about his best friend.

"No. Gin will explain. I gotta go…stuff to do." With that Ron began to stumble dazedly across the Hall. Harry glanced back at Ginny, an eyebrow raised.

"Well I guess we're lucky it's a long walk to Hogsmeade, you missed a lot of interesting things while you were gone." Ginny began to lead Harry toward the exit of the Great Hall and the doors of the school.

"Wait. Don't you think we should stay and see if Hermione and Ron are ok?"

"No, I think they're going to have to learn to work things out on their own." Harry looked doubtful for a moment, but then relented.

"Well then, my lady, it's off to Hogsmeade we go." Harry grinned and offered Ginny his arm, which she promptly accepted. 

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Very soon they were approaching the main road into Hogsmeade village. Harry and Ginny had been laughing and joking most of the way, so she had just started filling him in on the quarrel he'd missed while he was changing his robes. Harry rolled his eyes with a half disgusted-half amused look on his face as Ginny concluded her recount of the events of that morning.

"You know, it's rather sad. I don't think those two will ever make it through a whole school term without being furious with each other at some point." Harry stopped Ginny right as they entered the town. "So where to first Gin?" He asked. Ginny thought for a moment then decided that Honeyduke's would be their first stop.

"That way we can buy something for Ron and Hermione to cheer them up."

"I think that's a great idea. After a whole day with no one but each other to spend time with, they just might need a lot of cheering up."

"Oh I don't know. They could _kiss _and make up." Ginny replied slyly. Harry laughed but then looked serious again.

"I'm not sure Gin, I think you're underestimating Ron's temper and Hermione's stubbornness."

"We'll see." With that Ginny sprinted off down the road toward Honeyduke's, Harry chasing after her. After buying more Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs than should be allowed, Harry and Ginny stepped out into the fresh air once more. They had gotten a late start this morning, and it was now nearing lunch so Ginny suggested they head over to the Three Broomsticks to get something to eat.

Upon entering, however, Harry and Ginny realized that this was easier said than done. It appeared that every other student had had the exact same idea at the exact same time. Their only chance at getting a table was to share with some friends. Ginny was just scouring the crowd for Cleo or Emily, when they approached her hurriedly. Emily was carrying a picnic basket. Before Ginny could ask why they were eating at the Three Broomsticks when they had a picnic prepared, Cleo began to speak quietly, yet very quickly as though what she was saying was of the utmost importance.

"You have to get out QUICK!"

"What are you talking about?"

"It doesn't matter, get away before she traps you too." Emily pleaded. Before Ginny had a chance to inquire about her friends' odd manners, Meredith-Fiona Biddle had appeared at Cleo's side. 

"Hiya Harry!" She chirped at Harry. "Ginny." She said bitterly as she glared at her. "Why don't you…two come join us at our table?" Cleo and Emily began to cough and shake their heads vigorously. But Meredith didn't notice, as she was too busy ogling Harry. Ginny wasn't really sure what to say, they didn't have food otherwise. '**_But Mer-Fi is a psycho not to mention in love with your boyfriend.'_**

'I know. And don't call him my boyfriend.'

Harry too seemed at a loss for words. So it was Cleo to the rescue.

"Well no silly, they can't join us. They…already have this picnic planned!"

"Yeah!" cried Emily, thrusting the picnic basket into Ginny's hands.

"Oh…well ok." Meredith looked very depressed, but then seemed ready to object again, until Emily interrupted her.

"Hey Mer? I think Sahara may be getting lonely." Emily gestured back to their table where Sahara Sorenson, another Gryffindor, was looking entirely displeased to be there. "Why don't you go back over there and order drinks?" Meredith nodded slowly and walked away. 

"All right, now you have food so GO!" Cleo hissed.

"Why don't you come with us?" Ginny could have kicked herself for asking that. Was she crazy? She was almost definitely giving up a chance to be alone with Harry. But it didn't matter. Emily and Cleo shook their heads.

"No we already promised Mer-Fi we'd stay. And if we leave she most assuredly going to come chasing after all four of us." Emily replied mournfully. "Just take the basket and go, the food shouldn't be wasted."

"Yeah," Cleo continued. "And besides this will give the two of you some _quality _time." She then began to wink feverishly at Harry. He simply smiled patted her on the back and then rolled his eyes when she wasn't looking.

"Well I guess we'll go then." Harry said taking Ginny's hand. Ginny's heart began to flutter again, but she tried to ignore it as she bid her best friends farewell.

"Bye you guys! Have fun!"

"Oh right. Cuz you can have sooooo much fun with Mer-Fi and Sahara the Snob." Cleo replied sarcastically. Ginny smiled sympathetically as she walked outside with Harry once more. Once outside they turned down the lane and headed toward the foothills of the mountains north of the village.

As they came upon a particularly verdant, flowered hill it seemed that there were quite a few people who found a picnic more appealing as well. Dozens of students were scattered over the green hill, enjoying the cool, though semi-cloudy, day. Ginny and Harry enjoyed the picnic lunch that had been prepared by Cleo and Emily and after a while decided that cloud-watching would be a constructive way to spend the rest of the day.

"That one looks like a broomstick. Ooh and that poofy one over by the mountains is kinda like Trevor." Ginny mused pointing at two rather large clouds.

"That grayish one over there?" Harry asked. "I though it looked more like Snape." 

"What?!"

"Well see that large hook shaped part?"

"Yeah."

"Well that's his nose and then…"

"Oh. Yeah I do see that now. Ew weird." Ginny tried to push the thought of Professor Snape and clouds shaped like him out of her mind. She had just succeeded when Hannah Abbott and Ernie MacMillan, two Hufflepuff 6th years came walking toward them from the top of the hill.

"Hello Harry, Ginny!" called Ernie.

"Hi." Harry responded as he and Ginny pulled themselves into sitting positions. (They had been lying down on the hill to get a better view of the clouds.) 

"Aren't you two going to head back to the village?" Hannah asked.

"Why?" Harry questioned, looking up at her.

"Well it's about to rain. You don't want to get wet do you?" Ernie replied impatiently.

"It's just cloudy. It's not about to…" Plunk! (That was the sound of a raindrop falling on Harry's glasses. I know it's pathetic, but sound effects are not my specialty.) "…rain." Harry looked angrily up at the sky. Ginny giggled. '_He's cute even when he's angry at the weather.' _

"What are you laughing at?" Harry asked. He was looking at her with mock resentment on his face.

"Nothing." Ginny said trying to stifle another giggle.

"What?" Harry was smiling now too. "Tell me."

"No, I think I'll just head to the village now. Bye Ernie, Hannah!" Ginny took one last look at Harry and began skipping off to the village as it began to rain. Harry just laughed and began to chase after her for the second time that day.

In all honesty it was quite pointless to run back to the village. The rain began to pour down so hard in the following minutes, and the hills where the students had picnicked were so far from the village, that by the time they reached the village, they were soaked to the bone. This did not bother Harry or Ginny though. They were having too much fun chasing and tickling each other to even notice that it was raining at all. The only time either of them noticed it was wet at all was when Harry, not paying attention, stepped in a lake-sized puddle, and slipped.

"Ahh!" Squelch. (That's the sound of someone, namely Harry landing in a big muddy puddle.) Harry looked very displeased, even more so when he saw Ginny doubled over with uncontrollable laughter. She saw him glaring at her and tried to stop. It didn't work and Ginny was now forced to grab onto a tree for support.

"I'm sorry." She said suppressing her laughter momentarily. "It's just…(laughter)…you should have seen your face!" Ginny stopped again to wipe tears of mirth from her eyes.

"You should've seen your face." Harry mocked in a high voice. Ginny, however was not paying attention as she had resumed laughing. Harry stomped in the puddle he was still sitting in, splashing water at the hem of Ginny's robes.

"Hey!" She cried, stepping backward to dodge the water.

"Some girlfriend I have! Doesn't even help me get out of puddles I fall in." Harry muttered, trying to pull himself up.

"Girlfriend?" Ginny said quietly. That stopped her laughing. _'Did Harry Potter just call me his 'girlfriend'? _Ginny looked over at Harry who was now blushing furiously. Her heart melted and she walked over to help him up.

"Well yeah, I mean…well…I wanted to ask you, but…if you, it's just I didn't know whether or not you'd wanna be my girlfriend."

"Of course I do." Ginny whispered as she took Harry's hands and pulled him up.

"Really?" Ginny nodded, beaming. She was quite sure she'd never been happier. Harry put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him. Then he kissed her; it was absolutely the most wonderful thing Ginny had ever felt. They finally pulled away as Hannah and Ernie went splashing past them.

"Come on lovebirds!" Ernie called.

"Yeah you don't want to get sick do you?" Hannah yelled back as she ran down the lane.

Harry looked back at Ginny, clasped her hand tightly in his and began to pull her toward the castle. Ginny was positive that had Harry not been holding her hand, she would have been utterly miserable in the freezing rain, but as it was, this was actually pretty fun. All too soon it was over though. They had reached the castle and were running as fast as they could toward the Gryffindor Common Room. If Filch or Mrs. Norris caught them trudging water and mud through the castle, they'd have detention till they graduated. _'Not that I've had bad_ _experiences with detentions, though' _Ginny though as they reached the portrait hole. 

By this time most of the Gryffindor students had returned and were taking turns going through the portrait hole. Everyone outside the common room was shouting and singing jovially. Despite the dreary weather, this had turned out to be an extremely enjoyable Hogsmeade visit. Ginny smiled recalling Harry's last kiss as she climbed through the portrait hole. Upon entering the rather grey room however, her smile faltered a bit. 

The mood inside the common room couldn't be more different. As opposed to the jubilant group just returning from Hogsmeade, the students who had remained were decidedly glum. Ron was the only student above second year in the room, but even the younger students seemed quite unhappy, as the wet weather had kept them cooped inside all afternoon. Ron was seated by the fire, alone, arms crossed over his chest. 

"Hey Ron" Harry ventured. "Uh…where's Hermione?" Ron didn't have to answer though because at that moment she appeared at the bottom of the stairs from the girl's dorm. Ron and Hermione shot murderous glances at one other from across the room.

"Oh get over it Ron!" Ginny hissed at her brother. "Why don't you just apologize?"

"I've been trying to ALL DAY!" He glared at Hermione again. "But it's really hard to apologize when the PERSON you want to apologize to keeps leaving the room whenever you try to talk to them!" 

"Well," Hermione countered coolly. "I find it's better not to be in the same room as someone who hates you. This however does not seem to bother you, seeing as you remained here after I came in." For a split second Ginny saw what she was sure was sheer agony in Ron's eyes. But that what quickly replaced by rage and Ron was on his feet.

"I DO HATE YOU! I CAN'T STAND YOU! BEING NEAR YOU MAKES ME WANT TO…" Ron stopped abruptly. McGonagall was back. She crossed the room swiftly and spoke in a dangerously quiet voice that Ginny could just hear.

"Mr. Weasley, you must learn to control that temper of yours. Since prohibiting you from visiting Hogsmeade hasn't effected you, I am quite sure that detention would not teach you the lesson well enough either. The only punishment left is to ban you from practicing Quidditch this week and from playing keeper in the Quidditch match on Friday."

"But professor…" Ron looked very desperate.

"Enough! You will use your free time to learn to control yourself. Perhaps one week will affect you the way one afternoon clearly didn't." As she left the room once more, Ron turned his eyes on Hermione. He walked over to her deliberately and spoke to her in a hushed and hurried tone. Ginny could not hear exactly what he said, but judging by Hermione's tear streaked face as she ran up to her dorm, Ginny had a feeling it was really cruel. She also had a sinking feeling that things between Ron and Hermione might never be the same again. 

****

Dreams and Nightmares

Part 3

The next few days were positively dreadful for Ginny and Harry and, Ron and Hermione for that matter. The latter two were not speaking and the former pair were forced to play mediator. And those problems were only the start. 

Since Professor McGonagall had forbidden Ron to play or practice Quidditch that week, Harry was frantically searching for someone to play keeper in the upcoming match against Hufflepuff. Now it was widely believed that Hufflepuff was the weakest team that year (though they had defeated Slytherin three weeks earlier), but no matter how easy the opponent, Gryffindor wasn't going to win without a keeper. Harry had the entire team asking anyone and everyone if the could play keeper. By Thursday evening, Isis Ketterly and Astrid Rheingold, two fourth year chasers, had held several try-outs, but apparently no one with any talent had shown up. Ginny was just assuring Harry that he would find someone when Will Flynn, the other chaser and a fourth year as well, came over. 

"Sorry Harry. None of the third or even second years are very good at all. I think Astrid and Isis are getting rather frustrated. I can't look anymore, I've got to finish my Astronomy." Will shook his head sadly and walked off to join his friends on the other side of the common room. At that precise moment, Isis and Astrid climbed through the portrait hole.

"Grrr!" Exclaimed Isis. "I swear some of them can't even fly!"

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this Harry," Astrid added slowly, "but we may have to forfeit." Harry looked up at her sadly, but then nodded.

"Well thanks for trying, I know we all did our best to find someone." 

"Yes, but some of us did better than others!" Paul Darcy said happily as he and the other beater, Leinad Edwards (both fifth years), practically skipped over.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked

"Well," Leinad continued, "we found someone!" Astrid and Isis began jumping up and down happily as Will Flynn ran back over.

"Did I just hear you two say you found someone?" He asked excitedly. They nodded, grinning broadly.

"Who?" Ginny asked as she and Harry stood up.

"Well you should know Ginny," Paul replied, "she's only your best friend."

"What?"

"Cleo Holbrook of course!" Leinad concluded and with that he ran to other side of the room where Cleo was talking with Emily Tirian, Ginny's other best friend.

"Cleo plays keeper?" Harry asked as he glanced around at his team.

"Well she hadn't played since last summer, but we watched her fly and she was great." said Paul.

"Yeah not mention she stopped everything we shot at her!" shouted Leinad as he pulled Cleo over to the team.

"Will you play for us? It'll just be for tomorrow night of course, but we could really use your help." Harry pleaded.

"Well, yeah ok. I mean how can I pass up playing for Gryffindor?" Cleo answered as she was attacked with hugs from every member of the relieved Gryffindor Quidditch team. Harry's face brightened instantly and until Ginny caught sight of her brother sitting dolefully in the far corner of the common, she was ecstatic as well. Ginny walked slowly from the now singing, though rather off key, team over toward Ron.

"Hey." She began quietly as she sat in the empty red armchair opposite him. Ron only grunted.

"You know, she's not replacing you. I mean Cleo's only going to play in this one match." Ginny continued.

"What? Oh they found a keeper? That's great!" Ron replied and surprisingly he looked as though he meant it as well.

"Really?"

"Well yeah. I was really worried the might not find someone and the team would lose all chances of winning the Cup all because of me and my stupid temper."

"So do you feel better now?" Ginny asked this knowing full well what the answer would be. Even though he had just received news that should've taken a great weight off of his shoulders, Ron still looked utterly wretched. 

"Not really." He sighed and began again. "Have you seen Hermione lately?"

"No."

"Neither have I. I'm really worried. In classes she sits as far away from me as possible, normally with Lavender and Parvati and sometimes with Neville. And that really worries me."

"Why?"

"A lot of reasons. Mainly the fact that she really doesn't like Lavender or Parvati but she's still willing to sit with them to avoid me, well it doesn't make me very happy. Not mention, if she avoids me, she avoids you and Harry in turn. Then she isn't ever really around her true friends, which I think she'll need right now." He stopped for a moment and looked briefly angry and then regretful. "I shouldn't have said what I said."

"What did you say?" Ginny asked curiously. Ron just shook his head. He looked absolutely disgusted with himself.

"I'm too ashamed to repeat it. I won't blame her if she never talks to me again." 

"Oh no, Ron. I'm sure she'll talk to you again. You two are best friends." Ginny said as she tried to comfort Ron.

"Were. Anyway Gin, will you just go see if she's ok?" Ron implored looking at his sister with very sad eyes. It worried Ginny to see him like this, so she naturally wanted to help in any way could. Ginny left her brother and headed toward the staircase that led to the girls' dormitories.

As Ginny neared the sixth year girls' dorm, Parvati and Lavender came storming out of it. 

"She is insufferable!" Parvati screamed as she pushed past Ginny.

"I know!" Hissed Lavender. "I'm not sure what Ron said to her to get her so upset, but she probably deserved it." Ginny watched them stomp angrily down the stairs before slowly pushing the door to the dorm open. She glanced around and saw that Hermione was lying face down on her bed. 

"Hermione?" she called nervously. "It's me, Ginny."

"Go away!" Hermione's yell was muffled as her face was buried in a pillow.

'_Maybe I should leave, she doesn't really want company.'_

'**Oh yeah that's why you want to leave, cuz she wants to be alone.'**

'Point?'

**'Stop being a wimp and tell her Ron feels like a dolt, and rightfully so.'**

Ginny frowned, but walked toward Hermione none the less. Hermione instantly sat up in her bed and faced Ginny with her red tear-stained eyes. 

"I said 'get out'." Hermione muttered.

"I think you should listen to me first." Ginny started. And since Hermione didn't object, she went on. "Ron's really sorry. I've never seen him like this, he's really worried about you."

"Oh poor Ron!" Hermione exclaimed sarcastically. "He says the most horrible things ever said to me, and now HE feels bad." Ginny started to object, but Hermione cut her off. "Just stop! Tell him to leave me alone! I'm never going to talk to him again. And Merlin help him if I ever find some really good curses! Now get out." Ginny sighed, but turned and left the room. '_I hate this week!'_

**'Yeah sure you do, except for that part four days ago when Harry asked you to be his girlfriend.' **Ginny smiled and wandered off to her dorm to dream of Harry. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Morning came too quickly for Ginny's liking as she had just been having a glorious flight of fancy concerning her and Harry's wedding. But nonetheless, Ginny sat up and rubbed her eyes only to see Cleo frantically scampering about the dorm. 

"Cleo. Cleo!" Ginny whispered rather loudly.

"Huh? Oh morning Gin." She then resumed picking things up and flinging them across the room, all the while muttering to herself.

"Are you looking for something?" Ginny asked as she stepped out of her bed, dodging a shoe that Cleo had just launched across the room.

"Yeah. See Madame Hooch lent me some red Quidditch robes for the game tonight, but I can't find them." 

"Isn't that them, hanging on the door over there?" Ginny asked as she pointed to a set of scarlet Quidditch robes dangling from a hook on the back of the door to their dorm. Cleo immediately ran to the door and pulled them down.

"Wonderful!" She exclaimed. "Thanks Gin, you're a life saver!" Ginny yawned in agreement and slowly made her way to the bathroom, where she managed to muster up enough energy to change, and brush her teeth and hair. Eventually she was downstairs. Ron was at the foot of the staircase, apparently waiting for her. 

"Morning Ginny." He began. "So how are you?"

"Fine." Ginny replied reluctantly. She knew this conversation was likely to go one of two ways. Either Ron would bother her a little more about Harry, or more likely, he would ask her how her talk with Hermione had gone. 

"Did you talk to Hermione?" _'I hate being right.'_ Ginny cringed, then opened her mouth to respond, but apparently Ron had gotten the message. "No thanks anyway, Gin. I'm sure you tried. I suppose I don't deserve her forgiveness."

"A truer statement I've never heard." Ginny and Ron turned to see Hermione walking down the stairs into to the common room_. 'Please be nice Hermione.'_ Ginny begged silently. 

"Hermione, please listen to me." There was obvious desperation in Ron's voice now. Ginny was also sure she'd heard a little fear there as well. "I'll never be able to apologize enough for what I said, but on my life I didn't mean it."

"Then you shouldn't have said it. Do you have any idea how much it hurts to hear one of your best friends say things to you you thought you'd never even hear from your worst enemy?" A tear spilled out of her eyes as she concluded her sentence. Ron moved toward her, obviously wanting to comfort her and set things right, but Hermione instantly backed away. 

"Hermione…" Ron started again. This time Ginny could not only hear the fear and sadness in her brother's voice, she could likewise see it in his clear blue eyes. 

"Just stay away from me. You're not my friend, a friend wouldn't have said that." Hermione quickly wiped her eyes and stormed out of the common room. Ginny turned to her devastated looking brother and for some reason hugged him without thinking. 

"She won't be mad at you forever. I'm sure of it. She cares too much about you, plus with me and Harry 'snogging' all the time who else can she talk to?" Ron chuckled weakly.

"Thanks Ginny." He pulled away. "I'm gonna go back up to the dorm for a moment. I'll see you at breakfast, Harry's already there giving the team a pep talk." Ginny smiled and nodded. Once Ron had left, she ran back to her room and dragged a drowsy Cleo down to the Great Hall to join the rest of the team. 

When Harry was focused on Quidditch, there wasn't much point trying to engage him in conversation. So Ginny spent most of breakfast discussing the Charlie's letter (delivered that morning by an enthusiastically hyper Pig) with Ron. This was not all in all a waste of time seeing as through her brother's letter Ginny learned at least one very important thing: Dragons are scary. No matter how young, they still get hungry and have no problem in trying to separate you from your hand to relieve their hunger. In other words, avoid dragons. 

Seeing as Ginny's classes that Friday were Divination, Ancient Runes, and History of Magic, that was about all the useful information she acquired all day. Divinations was at least somewhat interesting if for no other reason that Sahara Sorenson and Mer-Fi got into a row concerning who would get the 'privilege' of sitting near Professor Trelawney, and in the scuffle knocked over several candles. The overturned candles subsequently caught the draperies on fire and for a few minutes there, the whole scene was quite entertaining. 

Instead of entertaining, Ginny's two other classes were quite dull and in her opinion pointless, rather like hitting yourself with a brick, but at least they were over quickly. It seemed in no time Ginny, Emily and Cleo were on their way back to the Great Hall for dinner. 

Dinner however, was not really that much fun. Neither Cleo nor Harry would eat for fear of exacerbating their already jittery nerves. And before the food had been served there had been a major problem in trying to decide where everyone would sit seeing as Hermione refused to sit either next to or across from Ron. Somehow though everyone survived dinner, and very soon Ginny had wished both Cleo and Harry good luck. Before long Ginny, Ron, Emily, and Hermione were outside, strolling toward the stadium.

After they had taken their seats, which took more effort than one might imagine considering that Hermione kept trying to kick Ron if he got too near to her, they turned their gaze to the field, where the teams were shaking hands. Ron was sitting by Emily, next to her was Ginny and Hermione was on the other end.

Once the teams had shaken hands, Madame Hooch blew her whistle starting the match. Cleo, visibly nervous, slipped a little as she mounted her broom, but regained her balance and eventually got into position near the Gryffindor goal posts. 

Both sets of chasers were playing spectacularly and the game might have been incredibly high scoring had their skill not been matched by that of their keepers. For though Cleo allowed three goals in the first 20 minutes, Hufflepuff didn't score after that and soon Gryffindor was up 50-30. Meanwhile in the stands, Emily and Ginny were cheering wildly at every one of their friend's amazing saves. Even Ron approved of his temporary replacement. 

"Wow! She is really great! I wonder how she got to be so good when she doesn't even play for most of the year." 

"Some people are just naturally talented, unlike you." Hermione retorted snobbishly. Before Ron could respond, Ginny screamed. He turned to look at her. Ginny was pointing up to the sky high above the Quidditch pitch, where Harry had just fallen from his broom. 

Paul Darcy and Leinad Edwards raced towards him trying to break his fall, they almost succeeded, but Harry still hit the ground rather hard. Everyone in the stands was screaming and yelling as they tried to see what had just happened. Instantly Ron was racing down the stairs with Hermione in tow. 

Ginny had gone icily cold and wasn't sure if she trusted her legs to carry her if she tried to walk. She vaguely noticed Emily trying to make her sit, but Ginny couldn't think, let alone move. The next few minutes were hazy and barely even visible in her memory. All that Ginny was sure of was that the teachers had tried to calm people down, while she thought she had seen someone taking Harry to the infirmary on a stretcher. Then Ginny had an unclear recollection of Emily asking her if she wanted to go try to see Harry and she thought she had responded 'yes'. In any event, it was now ten minutes after Harry had fallen and Ginny realized she was currently sitting right outside the doors to the infirmary. She was also aware that there were two people nearby yelling.

"Hermione, this is not the time to be arguing with me!" Ron was bellowing. "Our best friend may be seriously hurt."

"Oh that's great Ron, change the subject and worry your sister all in one sentence. Nice tact." Hermione hissed back. She may well have continued if Professor McGonagall hadn't just come out of the infirmary. 

" Miss Granger, Mr. and Miss Weasley he wants to see you. Ron and Hermione go in now, I wish to speak to you first Miss Weasley, you don't look well." Ron leapt up and ran into the infirmary, and Hermione stalked after him as McGonagall crossed the corridor to Ginny. "He'll be fine." She began comfortingly. "Just a nasty fall, but nothing Poppy can't heal." She smiled warmly and motioned for Ginny to go in. This was easier said than done as Ginny had been feeling as though her insides had been lined with lead up till now. But she did manage to drag herself into the infirmary and catch the last few words of what Harry was saying to Ron and Hermione, both of whom looked sickly pale.

"Anyway, just don't tell her, I don't want her to worry. But keep and eye on her all right?" Ron and Hermione nodded before noticing that Ginny had come in.

"Tell who what?" Ginny questioned. The three of them exchanged obvious glances, then Harry asked Ron and Hermione to leave. They complied as Harry motioned for Ginny to take the seat by his hospital bed. In truth, he didn't appear to be in bad shape at all. He was sitting up, and other than the large bruise on his arm, looked perfectly healthy.

"I don't want you to fret, but I fell out there because my scar started hurting again." Ginny tensed up, that could not mean good things. "But that wasn't all. You remember the dementors your second year?" Ginny shuddered, how could anyone forget? "I don't know about you but I always heard voices when they got close to me. My parents' voices to be exact." Ginny gasped. '_How horrible.' _"I heard them getting killed." Ginny could feel the tears springing to her eyes at the thought of Harry having to endure something so dreadful. "I'm telling you this, because up there tonight, I heard something a lot like it. Except what I heard hasn't happened yet." 

"What did you hear?" Ginny asked as he reached out to wipe one of her tears away.

"I heard you. I heard you screaming. I don't know where you were, but Voldemort was nearby and you were really scared." Ginny went cold again. "I'm going to tell Dumbledore. Just promise you'll be really careful, ok?" Ginny nodded. 

"Hey," Harry whispered, seeing the growing fear in her eyes, "it's probably nothing. I don't believe in Divination. Everything's going to be fine." Ginny nodded again. This time she tried her best to be convincing. _'Just don't cry until you're upstairs. Don't let him see how afraid you are.' _

"I'm really sleepy Harry. I think I'm going to head to the dorms now. Goodnight." 

"Goodnight." Harry replied. Then he took her hand and kissed it swiftly. "I promise you, everything will be fine." Ginny tried to believe his words as she walked out into the hall where Cleo and Emily were waiting.

"Is he ok?" They asked at once. Ginny had only just said 'yes' before she started crying again. Her friends exchanged puzzled looks before hugging her and practically dragging her back to the dorms were she spent a very sleepless night. '_He's ok. That's all that matters, besides if Harry said it'll be all right, it will. Nothing bad will happen.'_

************************************************************************

__

****

Dreams and Nightmares

Part 4 

It had been three days since Harry's little fall from the broom. To his relief, Dumbledore was going to allow the game to be rescheduled so Gryffindor wouldn't lose by forfeit on account of him. That however was the only thing Dumbledore said that even close to relieved him. As opposed to Harry, Dumbledore took the headaches and visions very seriously and had warned him (and Ginny he assumed) to be constantly on guard and careful. On any other day this would have worried Harry, but today was bright, crisp, absolutely lovely, and he was finally getting out of the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey had wanted to keep him longer, but Harry insisted that he didn't want to fall behind in classes. Obviously this was a lie. 

There were two real reasons he wanted out of the infirmary though. One was Ginny, the other Colin. As the first reason is probably self-explanatory, we'll just skip to the second reason. Colin had gotten a rather nasty paper cut on Saturday while he was studying in the library. Normally a paper cut would not result in a stay in the infirmary (unless you're a sissy like Colin or because of this other reasonà ), but the book he'd gotten a paper cut from had previously resided in Professor Snape's classroom. Evidently in its stay there, the book was doused with some kind of unsavory elixir, which can cause nasty little infections if it comes in contact with the bloodstream. Needless to say this resulted in Colin's needing to stay under Madame Pomfrey's care for quite a few days (the milquetoast). 

Even before Harry had 'stolen' Ginny from Colin, the thought of being forced to be around no one but him for very long was frightening, but under present circumstances, let's just say Harry was really really really pleased to be going back to class. (Even if his first class back was Divination). Simply because Dumbledore had ok'd his release, didn't mean that Harry didn't have to practically push his way past Madame Pomfrey into the bliss of the Colin-free corridor. So when Harry finally escaped, it was 10 minutes past the start of first period. But what normal teenager cares about being late to their second least-favorite class, especially when they know they won't get in trouble for it? 

Harry was strolling leisurely through the corridors toward the North Tower when he passed a hall of large windows opening to the grounds and Hagrid's hut below. Harry stopped for a moment and realized that the class in Care of Magical Creatures currently was the 5th year Gryffindors. He looked around until he spotted Ginny laughing with Emily and Cleo near Hagrid's hut. Apparently they were supposed to be working in groups on taking their new creatures, Sinystofflers, for walks. From what Ginny had told him about these Sinystofflers, they seemed innocent enough. They were about the size of a St. Bernard, had fluffy feather-like fur, and odd webbed feet. The Sinystoffler under Ginny, Emily, and Cleo's care was obviously tired, as it had lain down on the ground to take a nap. So now the three girls were busy laughing, joking, and talking (Harry hoped that his name might come up.) He had come into the common room early one morning last week to find Ginny, Cleo, and Emily talking near the fireplace. Cleo had been complaining about homework when she abruptly changed the subject to Harry, causing Ginny to blush. Harry smiled thinking back on her rosy cheeks and lovely, though embarrassed smile. 

'When Harry had finally woken from his reverie (and torn his eyes away from Ginny), he set off for the North Tower once more. As he climbed through the door leading into Professor Trelawney's stifling over-scented (in other words: really smelly) room, her wispy voice reached his ears,

"My children, I think that it would be wise for any of you who consider yourselves friends with young Mr. Potter to make your farewells now. I envision a great deal of pain and danger in his future. He, and all of you, had best beware of orange birds and pointy objects." Harry cleared his throat obviously as he entered the room. "Ah my dear, welcome back to the realm of the future." Harry nodded, then rolled his eyes in disgust as he crossed the room to take a seat by Ron near the half-open window.

"Harry," Ron whispered dramatically, "I just…(whimper)…I just wanted to say…(sob)…I'm going to miss you. Don't worry about Ginny, I'll make sure Colin takes good care of her after you're gone. (Sniffle) I just know those birds were up to no good." That was all Ron could get out before he broke into exaggerated fake sobs and stifled laughter. Professor Trelawney cast an angry glare in their direction, then caught sight of Harry and began to dab her enormous eyes with a handkerchief. Ron began to laugh again until Harry kicked him from under the table. 

"Honestly Ronald, I would think that you would take this business seriously. It could…really affect your…" But that was all Harry could say before he began to laugh uncontrollably at the thought of Divination actually being useful for something other than a lunchtime joke (and of course the occasional nap). When the two boys finally controlled themselves, Ron realized that to complete the in-class assignment, he would have to go get a numerology chart from the other side of the room. As he walked away to do so, Harry glanced out the window to the sunny grounds once more. 

Ginny and her friends were still there of course, though now though were quite a distance from Hagrid's hut and much nearer to the edge of the Forest. Apparently their Sinystoffler had gotten a second wind as it was jumping around Emily, while Cleo and Ginny watched, giggling. All of a sudden the Sinystoffler scampered back toward Hagrid's cabin, as though alarmed by something. Emily shrugged and chased after it. Cleo and Ginny turned to follow, when for some reason, they stopped and faced the Forest once again. It was as though someone, blocked from Harry's view, had called to them. Harry opened the other half of the two-paned window to get a clearer look. While he did so, Ginny began to walk toward the currently unseen person. The window was sticking, but finally he pulled it open. 

Almost immediately, he wished he hadn't. The scene that was playing out before him made his voice disappear and his whole body go numb. Ginny was walking toward Peter Pettigrew. Harry tried to call out, to stop her, but his voice wasn't cooperating. Harry continued to watch helplessly as Pettigrew reached into his pocket. '_Please not a wand, let it be anything but a wand. Why won't my voice work? Where's Hagrid? Why isn't there some way to help her? Please not a wand!'_ At that moment, Ron rejoined him.

"Harry?" Ron stared at him for an instant, then followed his gaze to the grounds below, where Pettigrew was unwrapping a thankfully non-wand object from a cloth and holding it out to Ginny. "GINNY! NO! RUN!" Ron yelled, causing everyone in the classroom to turn. Ginny heard her name and looked up to the North Tower as well. But it was too late, Pettigrew forced whatever he was holding into Ginny's hands, never letting go of it himself, and in a flash, they were gone. 

****

Dreams and Nightmares

Part 5

Before either Harry or Ron had time to think, they were racing out of the room, through the corridors, and onto the grounds where Cleo and Emily were frantically screaming for help. Upon hearing this, Hagrid ran from his cabin to the frightened girls as well.

"What in the name o' Morgana's goin' on out here?" Hagrid looked to Harry and Ron for an explanation, but they ignored him and instead began questioning Cleo on exactly what had happened.

"What did he give her Cleo?" Harry asked looking at her intently. There were tears in Cleo's eyes, but she shook them away and tried to remember everything that had happened.

"I'm not sure, I couldn't really see. It may have been a rock or something."

"A rock?" Ron replied shakily. "Why would he give her a rock and then apparate, it doesn't make sense."

"Apparate?" Hagrid repeated. He looked utterly bewildered. I don' think that yeh can apparate on teh the grounds. It's not possible." Then he considered what they were talking about and asked them again: "What happened out here?" Harry realized that Cleo and Emily were too upset to reply, so he answered Hagrid.

"There was a Death Eater. He showed up, handed Ginny something, and then the two of them disappeared." It wasn't until Harry said that the reality of the whole situation finally sunk in. Ginny was gone; she had been taken, most likely, to some stronghold of Voldemort's. And her stay there would undoubtedly be incredibly unpleasant. Hagrid looked thunderstruck.

"Which of yeh saw what it happen?" Harry, Ron and Cleo all motioned that they had watched the whole scene play out. "All right, the three of yeh go teh Dumbledore. Tell him what yeh saw. Emily, why don't yeh go back to the dorms an' rest?" Emily nodded and walked inside the castle as Hagrid gathered the rest of the class and led them inside as well. Apparently he didn't think it safe to be outside anymore. Harry, Ron and Cleo made their way inside as well, though they were walking much more slowly than their classmates as they headed to Dumbledore's office. 

Almost on cue, Dumbledore was just closing the door to his office when they arrived. Upon seeing their obviously troubled state, he ushered them inside without question. Once they were sitting down however he wanted the whole story. By this time, Cleo was crying silently and Ron was trying to comfort her, so neither of them seemed able to relate the events to Dumbledore. Harry therefore obliged again.

"I was up in the North Tower, and I guess I wasn't really interested in what Professor Trelawney was talking about so I glanced out the window. I could see Ginny in her Care of Magical Creatures Class. I was watching her and Cleo talking and they looked like they were about to go after Emily and their Sinystoffler. It had just run the other way, but then someone I couldn't see called to them." Cleo wiped her eyes and interrupted. 

"Actually, he just said 'Ginny'. He looked really nervous and kind of, well in bad shape I guess. One of his hands was all wrapped up. Anyway, he kept calling to her, and he looked harmless, pathetic really. So Ginny thought it wouldn't be much trouble in walking over to see what he wanted. Then he pulled something out of his robes, and I knew that something was wrong." She shook her head. "We heard Ron yelling for her to run. Ginny looked really scared, I think she was trying to get away, but the man pushed whatever he took from his robes into her hand, and then they were gone." Dumbledore nodded, then asked Cleo if she had any idea what he gave Ginny. "No, I mean it looked rather like a stone, but that doesn't really make much sense." 

"Sir," Ron began, looking away from the much calmer Cleo to Dumbledore, "if they couldn't apparate, how did they just disappear?"

"I'm not sure, but it's quite possible that the man,"

"Pettigrew." Harry mentioned softly.

"It was Peter Pettigrew?" Dumbledore asked gravely. Harry nodded. "Well then we can be very sure as to how he got onto the grounds, and as for the stone, it was probably some kind of portkey." Harry swallowed; he was trying to force himself not to worry. '_She'll be fine. Voldemort's just doing this to get to me. He won't hurt her.' _Still, he wasn't convinced, but Dumbledore was talking again so he was forced to concentrate. "…need to be careful. Voldemort will no doubt try to contact you, Harry. You must promise that you won't go rushing off to save her, it will only make things more difficult." Harry nodded as there was a knock on the door. Professor McGonagall walked in, looking very surprised to see three students there along with Dumbledore. 

"Minerva, will you please take Miss Holbrook back to the Gryffindor common room. Then I would like you to cancel classes for the rest of the day. Tell students that they will remain in their common rooms until they are notified otherwise. Finally please return here with the other Heads of Houses so that I may explain the situation to you." Confused though she was, Professor McGonagall complied. Professor Dumbledore turned back to Ron and Harry. "I believe that it would be pointless to ask you not to tell Miss Granger what has happened, but I hope that she is the only student either of you tells. It is best, in these cases, to avoid causing panic."

"More importantly, however, is making sure that Ginny returns safely." Dumbledore continued. "The Ministry will be of very little help I should imagine, seeing as they still have not acknowledged Voldemort's return to power. I think that I know of two people who may be able to help though. I am sure that the two of you will be as confident as I am in Sirius Black and Remus Lupin's abilities." Harry felt slightly better for the first time all morning. Surely Sirius and Remus would be able to find Ginny. "Now I have a lot of work to do, several letters to write, and I believe that shortly there will be four very confused professors asking me to explain why I cancelled classes today. I trust that the two of you can make it back to Gryffindor Tower, and only Gryffindor common room, alone." 

The walk back to the common room that day was the longest Harry could remember. Neither he nor Ron spoke until they reached the portrait hole. Almost immediately after entering the tower, Hermione had grabbed them both and pulled them into one of the more quiet, deserted areas in the common room.

"What happened?" She asked, but before they could answer, Hermione had begun to speak very rapidly once more. "Lavender and Parvati told me that the two of you ran from the Divination room during class. And Neville said that you had shouted something about Ginny and then her friends, Cleo and Emily, both went upstairs looking very upset about something, and I am sure you know they've cancelled classes today. You two weren't here, I was really worried. What is going on?" 

"Peter Pettigrew kidnapped Ginny." Ron replied numbly. Hermione gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. "He snuck onto the grounds, probably disguised as Scabbers, used a portkey and the two of them disappeared." As Ron finished, Hermione began to cry softly with an utterly terrified expression on her face. Ron reached out and pulled her into a comforting hug.

"Aw, come on Hermione, she'll be ok." Harry could tell by the trembling in his voice, that Ron was trying to convince himself as much as Hermione. Apparently the two of them had forgotten their earlier row. After all, in light of everything that was going on, it wasn't really important any more. And in light of all that was going on, it wasn't shocking that Harry had to sit down on a nearby chair to think. Or really to try not to think. Thinking was really difficult at the moment considering all he could picture was a series of horrible things happening to Ginny. He felt completely helpless, the girl he…well at least liked…a lot was in grave danger and there wasn't a thing he could do. 

*********************************************************************************************************

The three friends stayed sitting in the common room for a long time. Hours later an ashen Hermione still had very red eyes, Ron was unnaturally pale, and Harry felt that if he moved at all, he might be sick. As all of the other students had long since gone to bed, there wasn't a sound to disturb the chilly silence, until the portrait hole creaked open around one in the morning. Harry, Ron and Hermione turned their heads to see their former professor, Remus Lupin, climb in. 

"Hello." He said quietly as he took a seat on a sofa across from Harry. "Sirius wanted to come up as well, but Dumbledore still needs to talk to him and also thought it unwise to have a 'convicted murderer' walking through the halls." No one answered him. "I want all of you to know that we'll find her. Nothing's going to happen. Voldemort's probably just doing this to bait you Harry, so I honestly doubt that he'll even think about killing or hurting her. There wouldn't be point." While Harry wanted to agree with him, he wished Lupin hadn't said 'kill'. Nonetheless, he was grateful for his help. 

"Thanks." Harry murmured. "And could you say 'hi' to Sirius for me?" Remus nodded, then added: "You should all get to bed, you look tired." With that he was gone. Even though he was exhausted, Harry seriously doubted that he could sleep at all tonight. Regardless, he had just decided to proceed upstairs when there was a tapping at the window. Ron jumped up from his chair and opened the window, allowing a great dark grey owl to soar in. It flew to Harry's side and deposited a piece of parchment. Harry knew without reading it who it was from and promptly instructed Ron to close the window. He didn't want the owl leaving just yet. 

Harry opened the letter with shaky hands and read:

'Harry-

I truly enjoy being in you girlfriend's company. She's really quite charming when she's not crying or screaming in pain. I think she's rather scared though, but she won't be for long. While Ginny Weasley is one of the more enchanting prisoners I've had in a long time, my dungeons are rather full, and I need to make room for more troublesome witches and wizards. Therefore, I'm afraid I'll have to kill her, unless you want to stop me. If you accept this challenge, be on the edge of the Forbidden Forest in three days at midnight. If I find that you have told anyone of this letter, or you do not take my offer, I will kill her. Sweet dreams.'

The letter was unsigned, but Harry knew it was from Lord Voldemort and he also knew that he wouldn't stand a chance at defeating Voldemort in three days, nor would Sirius and Remus find Ginny that quickly. There was only one thing to be done: Harry would have to rescue Ginny himself. Before Harry had explained his decision to Hermione and Ron, he ran to his dormitory and grabbed his Firebolt. He raced back downstairs where Ron and Hermione had just finished reading the letter. 

"Where are you going?" Ron asked incredulously as he stared at Harry, broom in hand.

"I am going to follow this owl back to where it came from. Then I am going to find Ginny and bring her back." Harry stated firmly as he crossed the room to where the owl was hovering impatiently by the closed window.

"Harry, you can't." Hermione replied rationally. "Professor Lupin and Sirius will find her." 

"In three days?"

"Well…show them the note. Let's go get them right now and they can follow the owl."

"No. They aren't risking their lives for some vendetta Voldemort has against me." Hermione and Ron both looked ready to object again, but Harry wouldn't hear it. "I'm going, neither of you can stop me." Harry swiftly opened the large window, allowing the grey owl to fly out into the inky night sky. One look back at his friends and he had mounted his broom and followed the owl. It wasn't long before they could no longer see him.

"He's crazy. We have to tell Dumbledore. They have to stop him." Hermione was muttering rapidly. She looked to Ron for a response. "Ron! RON!"

"What?"

"Are you coming?"

"What? No, wait here, I'll be right back." Ron called over his shoulder as he too ran to the dormitories. Hermione could hardly believe her eyes when he returned moments later with the broom he had received when he joined the Quidditch team the previous year.

"Oh no! Wait just one second! Where do you think you're going?" Hermione asked as she positioned herself firmly in front of the window.

"Hermione, my little sister and now my stupid best friend are in mortal danger. I have to help Harry." He moved toward the currently Hermione-blocked window. "Please get out of my way."

"No."

"All right. You leave me no choice." Ron walked over to Hermione, placed his hands on her shoulders and steered her forcefully out of the way. He then pushed her into a chair facing the open window. "If the teachers or Dumbledore ask where we are, say we're sick. I closed the curtains around Harry and my beds so none of the guys will be able to tell we're not there." He smiled softly at her. "Bye Hermione. I'll see you soon."

There were tears springing to her eyes again. Hermione stood up quickly, not wanting him to leave. "Please, Ron don't go. What if…what if…" she whispered weakly. 

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to lose three of my best friends in one night." She replied simply. Something about that broke Ron's heart and before he had even realized what he was doing, he had crossed the room and had drawn Hermione into a delicate kiss. The whole thing took both of them thoroughly by surprise, and when Ron pulled away he noticed that both he and Hermione were blushing furiously. 

"Why did you do that?" Hermione asked almost inaudibly. 

"Lots of reasons, I think. One, I didn't want you to be unhappy. Also I thought it would be rather pathetic if I went off to my glorious death without ever having kissed a girl." Ron replied. Mentioning death was clearly not the best thing to do Ron realized as another tear slid down her face. "That was a joke." He whispered as he wiped it away. "I'll come back. All three of us will come back safely. I promise." He reassured her as he hugged her once more. Hermione nodded and tried to smile as she watched the second of her best friends fly away into the ominously dark sky that night.

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Ginny Weasley was lying on the cold stone floor of some ancient castle off the northwest coast of Britain. Every muscle and bone in her body ached. Her very soul was in searing pain. 

"Now will you agree to help my master?" Came the cruel, pitiless voice of the hooded Death Eater who was standing over her. Ginny couldn't even muster enough strength to reply; she simply began to sob for the who-knows-how-many time that day. "Pathetic." The man spat as he raised his wand to curse her yet again. 

"Macnair!" A bone-chilling voice echoed across the stone chamber. "There are other, more effective means of persuasion." Ginny gathered all her energy and forced her eyes to look upon the new speaker. The breath caught in Ginny's throat as she realized who she was looking at. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was standing just feet away from her. '_I am going to die.' _She thought as he turned his icy red eyes on her.

"My Death Eaters tell me you are not cooperating." He began. "This will not do. You must understand by now that the Ministry and that old fool, Dumbledore, have no chance against me. You can be spared, I would even be willing to consider keeping your family from harm. But you must agree to help bring Potter to me. He will trust you. It will be so very easy, and then once you've helped me, you can do whatever you like."

"Leave Harry alone." Ginny choked.

"Consider your choices." Voldemort hissed angrily. "You can have your freedom and your life right now or you can die, alone in a cold dungeon, all to delay the inevitable." 

"I won't do it." Ginny replied determinedly.

"Very well. Crucio!" Ginny screamed as an intense burning feeling engulfed her body. She wanted to beg for it to end, but couldn't do anything but cry in agony. Finally it was over. "I'll give you a little more time to think on it." He turned and began to walk out of the room. "Take her to a cell." Voldemort ordered the Death Eater. Macnair walked briskly over to Ginny, forced her to her feet, and began to drag her down the Cimmerian corridors. After a painfully long distance, Ginny found herself in front of a large wooden door. The Death Eater pulled it open and shoved her to the floor inside. Ginny shivered violently as she heard the door slam shut behind her. 

'_Please help me. I'll do anything if someone will just help me.' _Ginny wiped her eyes and tried to sleep; at least if she wasn't awake, she couldn't feel the pain anymore. Ginny had nearly drifted off, when she thought she heard something outside of the door to her cell. '_That couldn't be…oh please!'_

"Harry?!" She cried through the door.

"Ginny? Ron quick, she's in here." 

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****

Dreams and Nightmares

Part 6

"Ginny?" It was Ron's voice that reached Ginny's ears now. 

"I'm here, please help me!"

"Ginny, listen to me." Harry was speaking again. "I want you to get as far away from the door as possible. Stand against the wall or something." Ginny immediately ran to the wall and stood back. Harry began talking quickly to Ron. "Can you do the silencing charm?"

"Yes."

"Good. On the count of three aim it at the door. Ready? One, two, three!" At once she saw the door fly off its hinges against the wall as Harry yelled 'reducto' and Ron 'silencio'. Ron's charm worked marvelously as the door landed without even the slightest sound.

Ginny felt weak and incredibly dizzy again and was leaning on the wall for support when Harry came rushing in. Upon seeing Ginny, he ran to her and took her in his arms as he whispered apologies to her. 

"This is my fault. He only wanted to hurt me. I am so sorry this happened Gin. Please, please forgive me." Ginny didn't answer. She wasn't sure that her voice would be working, she was so tired and happy all at once, standing was getting difficult as well. Ginny felt herself sway and was glad Harry was holding her, or she might've fallen. "Gin?" Harry said concernedly as he pulled away to look at her face. "Are you all right? Did he harm you?" Ginny tried to answer but could feel herself losing consciousness. Soon all she could see was black. The last thing she was aware of was Harry laying her gently on the floor while Ron began asking frantically what was wrong.

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"Harry, we have to leave. We may have to carry her, but come on, we can't stay here much longer."

"I know. Get your wand out and can you hold the brooms so I can carry her…wait Ron! I think she's waking up…Ginny?" Ginny was struggling to force her cumbersome eyelids open. She could feel Harry clutching her hand tightly and she could tell that Ron must have been nearby watching her nervously.

"Gin, please wake up, please let her be all right." Ron was muttering fretfully somewhere to her left. Slowly Ginny opened her eyes and Harry's anxious face came into view. 

"Are you ok?" He asked as he smiled at her in his heart-warming way.

"I think I am now. How long was I unconscious?" Ginny asked as she endeavored to ignore the painful pounding in her head. 

"Five minutes or so." Ron answered as he took her other hand. "But it seemed like forever. Do you think you can walk?" 

"I think so." Ginny sat up as the boys stood up and helped pull her to her feet. She was slightly dizzy for a moment, but soon regained her balance. 

"We need to go." Ron said as he made his way into the corridor. Harry remained close at Ginny's side step for step as they made their way through the labyrinthine stone passages. Everything seemed to be going well until they reached a fork in the corridors. The stone pathway split into to torch lit upwards-sloping passages. Ron began to head up the left but Harry held back.

"Are you sure we came down that one?" He asked uncertainly as Ron came back to investigate both corridors.

"I thought I was but…"

"But you were wrong." Ginny turned and saw Peter Pettigrew flanked by two Dementors coming up behind them. "That passage," he sneered pointing to the left, "will lead us to Lord Voldemort's favorite haunt. I doubt that's where you intended to go, but I think it's a very good choice indeed." Pettigrew punctuated this statement by drawing his wand and pointing it steadily at them. Ginny went cold as she realized that not only was she still trapped in Voldemort's headquarters, currently cornered by his henchman and two Dementors, she was also quite unarmed. Pettigrew had taken her wand when he took her from Hogwarts. Harry seemed to be equally worried about Ginny's lack of armaments, as he pushed her behind him and Ron.

"Now I suggest you all head back down to the cells, or I may have to let my two friends persuade you." He said scornfully, motioning to the Dementors at his side. Ginny was feeling sick and rather dizzy again at the thought of going back to the cell, or even worse getting tortured again. Then by far the worst thought came into her mind. Voldemort had kidnapped her and done all of those horrible things solely to get to Harry, and now Harry was trapped in his Dementor-defended lair with very little hope of escaping.

"I said move or I'll kill all of you here and now!" Pettigrew shouted violently. Ginny grabbed Harry's arm in fear as she realized they could all be dead in moments. _'Great Witches, he feels icy.' _Ginny thought as she peered up at Harry's angry face and obviously scared green eyes. "MOVE NOW!" Pettigrew shouted again. Ginny felt Harry move forward, but Ron stopped him and pointed his wand at Pettigrew as he shouted: 'Expelliarmus!'

Immediately, not just one, but two wands flew from a thoroughly shocked Pettigrew. The first wand came from his hand and was obviously his, but the second, Ginny's flew from a pocket in his robe. Ron caught them both and handed Ginny's back to her. Pettigrew now outnumbered and severely out'gunned', motioned for the Dementors to attack. Ginny could feel the coldness closing in around her as the Dementors advanced down the corridor towards them. 

"Ginny, Ron, you have to listen and concentrate as hard as you can." Harry began talking rapidly to the both of them as the corpse-like hooded creatures drew nearer and nearer. "Think about the happiest memory you have and as you think about that point your wand at the Dementors and say 'expecto patronum'. Ok? Now go!" Ginny instantly knew what her happiest memory was. Picturing the time outside the Gryffindor Common Room when Harry had kissed her after their detention. She smiled, then remembered where she was and began chanting 'expecto patronum'. Soon three silvery cloud-like things appeared at the end of their wands. Ginny couldn't see Ron's, but Harry's silvery object seemed to take the shape of a stag, while Ginny's looked rather like a lightening bolt (A/N:cheesy, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else). Slowly at first, but then at a more hurried pace, the Dementors began to back up and head the opposite direction. Once they were even with Pettigrew, they turned and fled. Pettigrew sputtered as he watched them leave, but turned to face Ginny, Ron, and Harry angrily a few seconds later.

"Oh you three are going to be in so much pain for that. My Master will not be pleased at all. You should just surrender yourselves now and make it all easier."

"Yeah, ok." Ron replied sarcastically. "How about instead we just do this." He raised his wand yet again and yelled 'petrificus totalus'. Instantly Pettigrew's arms snapped to his side and his legs sprang together. He wobbled for a moment before falling with a dull thud to the stone floor. 

"Come on!" Harry said as he pulled Ginny up the right passageway after Ron. All three of them had broken into a run. Finally they reached a huge wooden door. Ron, Harry, and Ginny grabbed the handle and pulled as hard as they could. The door slowly opened to reveal the fact that the castle in which Ginny had been kept was actually on the rocky cliff of a small island in the middle of the cold dark azure sea. Ron tossed Harry's Firebolt to him as he mounted his own broom. Harry helped Ginny onto it, and before she knew it they were soaring through the hazy pre-dawn sky.

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Ginny was just waking from a lovely dream when she felt the strange sensation of wind rushing past her. She opened her eyes and gave a start. She was riding on a broom with Harry and Ron was off to their right on his broom. What was going on? Then it hit her. The memories of just a few hours before came flooding back as she gazed down at the countryside below. Right now they seemed to be over some rather dark and gloomy looking forests and one extremely fast river.

"Oh, are you finally as awake?" Harry asked smiling broadly. Ginny yawned in response. "Well I guess that's a no." Harry kissed her lightly on the cheek as he turned the broom ever so slightly to the left and motioned for Ron to do the same. Harry continued to watch the compass on the front of his broom and make small adjustments in direction every so often. It was probably about an hour later when Ginny finally caught sight of the towers of Hogwarts. Harry and Ron slowed their brooms down and landed on the roof of the castle near Gryffindor Tower. After taking turns peering in each of the windows of the tower, Ron and Harry finally found the large Common Room window from which they had flown the previous night. Ron hovered beside it on his broom.

"I hope there's someone here to open it for us. It must be time for breakfast or first period by now." He called up to them as he looked hopefully in the locked window. Just then the window flew open and Ginny could hear Hermione's excited voice greeting Ron.

"Oh thank the stars! Are you all right? Where's Harry? Did you find Ginny? Did you see You-Know-Who? Oh my, it must have been terrifying, were you scared? Do you realize how much lying I had to do to keep you absence unnoticed? Goodness Ron, answer my questions!"

"Umm…could you repeat them?" Ginny and Harry laughed as Hermione made an exasperated sound from the Common Room. 

"Let's go before she kills Ron." Harry said, Ginny nodded and soon the four friends were reunited in Gryffindor Common Room. After a lot of hugging and laughing, Hermione finally got around to asking to be informed of everything that had happened since they left. Once the whole story had been told, she could only stand back and gape with awe at her friends.

"How on Earth did you manage all that?" 

"That's what I've been wondering, especially since all of you were told explicitly not to do anything." Professor McGonagall was staring at them sternly, arms crossed over her chest. None of them could answer. Harry soon forgot all the happiness he was feeling as it was quickly replaced by fear of how he would be punished. "Well if none of you are going to answer me, I suppose I'll just have to take you to Dumbledore."

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On their way to the Headmaster's office, Professor McGonagall left Ginny with Madame Pomfrey in the infirmary. And she was glad for it. Ever since they had arrived at Hogwarts, there had been a constant, painful throbbing in Ginny's head. Madame Pomfrey soon got rid of that and insisted that Ginny get some sleep in the hospital wing. She felt as though she had only just dozed off when her eyes were opening to reveal the smiling face of Harry Potter.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Ginny stared at him puzzledly partly because she had just woken up and wasn't able to think clearly and partly because she'd never read Muggle fairy tales. "You were asleep for so long, I was getting a little worried." Ginny looked outside and realized it was morning, again. 

"You mean it's tomorrow already?" She asked looking back to Harry. 

"I guess that's one way of putting it." He chuckled. Ginny shook herself awake and, as she did, she remembered where Harry had been headed when she last saw him.

"You didn't get into trouble, did you?" 

"No, well not really. Dumbledore lectured all of us a bit about the danger we had put ourselves in and went on about how we should've been more sensible and he of course told us he was extremely disappointed and all that." Harry was looking rather angry when he finished this little rant. Ginny took his hand and looked him in the eyes.

"He's right you know. You two could've been killed, and Hermione probably should've told Dumbledore as soon as you left. I mean I'm glad you came, but you weren't really being sensible." Ginny shuddered slightly at the thought of Harry and Ron dying because of her.

"Yes I was!" Harry wasn't yelling, but he had raised his voice a little. "Gin, he was going to kill you." Harry shook his head and looked away for a moment. "I knew that no one could get to you in time and if you'd died…I don't know…at the time, going after you myself was the only sensible thing to do."

"I suppose you're right."

"You suppose?" Harry laughed. "I saved your life and you suppose that I'm right. Some people are incredibly ungrateful." Ginny could tell by the twinkle in his eyes that he was joking.

"Yeah, I guess I should thank you." Ginny replied grinning.

"Good idea. And maybe you can start by kissing me." Ginny giggled, but immediately agreed of course.

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Meanwhile in the Common Room… 

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Everyone besides our favorite redhead and his best friend 'know-it-all' love-interest (well not yet, but VERY soon) was at breakfast. Neither Ron nor Hermione felt much like eating. Madame Pomfrey had told them that under no circumstances would more than one person at a time be allowed to visit Ginny. Harry threatened to hex the both of them if he didn't get to see her first. But in Ron's opinion, Harry was certainly taking his sweet time.

'_Probably snogging with her.' _He thought bitterly. '_What kind of decent best friend goes and likes your sister. Some things just aren't right._

'**Yeah like not telling a certain someone that you like her.' **(Ron too seems to have inherited the Weasley 'double inner monologue gene'. In case you care Mrs. Weasley, Gred, Forge, and of course Ginny have this gene. And while Ginny's and Ron's tend to argue, Gred and Forge's always go something like this:

'_Ha ha I am a genius. Putting dungbombs in Mrs. Norris' _catnip_, I think I've outdone myself this time.'_

' **_I don't know, what if you get into trouble?'_**

'Yeah but what if they explode right as Filch walks in the room?'

'**Ha! Good point, after that we should blow up his toilet!'**

Yes I realize that was completely random, but just bear with me…all right back to the real story.)

Ron glanced over to the girl who he knew the second voice had been referring to. Hermione was looking very tired…and were those tear marks on her face?

"Hermione, are you ok?"

"No."

"Why not?" Before he knew it, Ron had moved quickly to her side. "We saved Ginny, everyone's fine." He said putting his arm around her shoulder and slowly pulling her into a hug.

"I know it's just that…well Voldemort got to her so easily. What if comes after someone else too? And what if they don't come back ok?"

"Look, I'm sure Dumbledore will get more security here. He hasn't got a chance to hurt anyone else. We're safe."

"For now."

"Right, but you have to live for the present. You know, carpe diem." It was only just then that Ron realized that Hermione was still in his arms and that she was shivering a bit. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. There was a dreamy gaze playing across them, more importantly she was smiling up at him. He knew right then that he was going to kiss her again. Ron closed his eyes and leaned in…

"Hiya guys!" Colin Creevey had just entered the Common Room. "Hey where's Harry. Oh wait, he's visiting Ginny right? Do you think I should visit Ginny? Maybe I will. Are you going to? What are you two doing here anyway?" Ron was fuming, but as he doubted that Hermione would think well of him if he went and socked the little runt in the nose, he answered Colin's question instead.

"We're waiting to go see her. But I think we'll go now. Well you better get back to the Great Hall Colin. Bye!" He turned toward the portrait hole; only one thought was zooming through his mind as he opened the portrait hole for Hermione: _'Mental Note: Kill Colin.' _Strangely enough, this was the exact same thing Hermione was thinking. 

****

Dreams and Nightmares

Part 7

As Ginny's whole ordeal had taken place during the waning weeks of November, and as Madame Pomfrey was very cautious with permitting students to leave the infirmary, it was nearly Christmas before she was allowed out of the hospital wing. By this point everyone in the school had learned what had happened. This was the reason why her brother was now something of a celebrity and why Harry was more the hero of Hogwarts than ever.

That would also be the explanation for the immense amount of flowers and cards from well-wishers Ginny was now struggling to carry back to her dorm. Madame Pomfrey had offered to help Ginny move the gifts from the infirmary back to Gryffindor Tower, but she had been distracted when Collin Creevey wandered in complaining of headache caused by his wand somehow getting stuck in his ear. Long story, needless to say, it's very likely that either Ron or Hermione may have had something to do with it. 

The point is Ginny was alone and overburdened with over a dozen

bouquets and several hundred cards. Emily and Cleo were too busy to help her apparently. Hermione was no doubt in the library preparing for the next term. And Ginny had noticed that Ron seemed a bit more concerned with Hermione as of late, so he was most likely there as well. And Ginny hadn't the foggiest idea where Harry was. All she knew was that by the time she managed to make her way to the portrait hole, she was very angry with each of the aforementioned people for not being available to help her. 

It was there that Ginny decided to drop her gifts and simply enter the Common Room to see if any of her fellow Gryffindors who hadn't gone home for the Christmas holidays would be willing to help transport her cards and flowers. As she climbed through the portrait hole, however, she was met by an eerie sight. The Common Room was pitch black. The only light at all in the circular room was the light from the hallway that trailed only a short ways into the room. Ginny had never seen the room this dark, especially in the middle of the afternoon.

"Hello?" She called doubtfully. "Is anyone here?" Again the only sound that reached her ears was an alarming silence. Ginny was beginning to feel very cold and decided that the library didn't sound like such a bad place to be after all. But as she turned to face the portrait hole again, it slammed shut. That was not the only thing she heard though. 

Ginny would have bet anything in the world that after the portrait had swung shut, a cloak swished behind her. She closed her eyes (not that it mattered, seeing as it was jet black already), took a deep breath and turned so that she was facing the room once more. '_Ok on the count of three, I'm going to open my eyes and see that there isn't anyone in the room. Right, one…two…two and a third…two and a half…' _But before she reached three, someone placed their hands over her eyes. Immediately her eyes shot open, but as someone was covering them she couldn't see anyway. Ginny was about to pull away or ask who this person was, when they spoke.

"One, two, three…." Instantly they pulled their hands from her eyes. 

"SURPRISE!" A hundred voices yelled.

Ginny gasped as she surveyed the room around her. The lights were up again and nearly every member of Gryffindor House was yelling and cheering as they waved banners touting phrases like 'Merry Christmas', 'Welcome home Ginny', and various other sparkling messages. The room itself was adorned in shimmery red, green and silver tapestries. Magical candles were floating here and there and there was even an enormous Christmas tree near the window. 

"Welcome back." Ginny turned abruptly and found Harry standing right behind her. "Do you like it?" Ginny could only smile and hug him. "Guess so. Sorry I didn't come see you today or yesterday. I was sort of busy getting this 'welcome back from the hospital wing/Merry Christmas party' ready."

"Thanks Harry." 

"Anytime." He replied, taking her hand. "Do you want something to eat? We got the house elves to make a few extra holiday treats."

"Sure, just as long as you're nearby." Harry grinned rather bashfully as she said this, but then kissed her softly.

"What was that for?" Harry merely pointed above her head where a small bit of enchanted mistletoe was floating. 

"Definitely my favorite part of Christmas." Harry said smiling again. 

"Mine too." Ginny replied. "But speaking of mistletoe, where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry grinned at what she was implying.

"I'm not sure, I think they went for a walk." Ginny could see by the mischievous look in his eyes, that he clearly thought that this was no ordinary walk.

"About time." Ginny whispered as they began to cross the room to an exquisite table piled high with cakes and candy.

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Ron Weasley had only kissed a girl once in his entire life. And that had really had nothing to do with him. She was upset and his heart had willed him, forced him to kiss her. As Ron was walking with that very girl, he was wishing very much that his heart would take over again, because as it was, he was very nervous and completely lost on what to do. 

Ron and Hermione had been strolling outside through the snow in silence for the past half-hour. Ron didn't think he could take it if neither of them said anything much longer, so he broke the silence.

"You know who I hate?" '_Good one Ron, that was romantic.'_

"Colin." Hermione said without thinking. '_Think before you answer. THINK!'_

"Yeah. Exactly." Ron chuckled. "Do you ever get anything wrong Hermione?" 

"I did mess up on something once." Hermione replied, nodding solemnly. 

"What was that?" Ron asked as he placed his hand on her arm to pull her back.

"Well, there's this guy." Ron tried very hard not to show any emotion as she said this. "And I really like him. But I can never get up the courage to tell him. So we're always fighting instead…. and…." At this point it was very hard for Hermione to concentrate as Ron was standing very close to her. He slowly put one hand on her waist and drew her near. As he did so, he felt her shiver slightly.

"Are you cold?" He whispered gently.

"No." She breathed. Ron looked into her eyes and gave his cute lopsided smile before he kissed her for the second time. This was different though. It was more passionate than their first kiss. Hermione smiled inwardly as she wrapped her arms around Ron's neck. '_Now this is a dream come true.'_ Strangely enough, yet again, Ron and Hermione were in total agreement.

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****

Dreams and Nightmares

*Epilogue*

It turns out Ron and Hermione agreed on quite a few things. The once constantly combative pair of friends turned, almost overnight into a completely inseparable couple, though, being Ron and Hermione, they still fought…all the time. But there were a few specific things they never argued about, like the fact that they were both madly in love with the other. More importantly Hermione didn't even hesitate in the slightest to consent to marry Ron the summer after they graduated. Nor did Ron quarrel one bit with his wife when she wanted to name their first child Catherine. Everything in their lives was going better than if Hermione herself had planned it.

Harry and Ginny were a different story. They had dated the rest of Harry's time at Hogwarts and they were still somewhat of an official 'couple' when she graduated, but it was now three years after Ginny had graduated from Hogwarts and she was still Ginny Weasley, not the much-preferred Ginny Potter. Things weren't all bad though; after all it wasn't like Harry had married anyone else. He just hadn't been seen in quite a long time. 

Ginny had known the Christmas of her seventh year that things were changing for the worse. He had come to visit the Weasleys, and her of course, during the holidays. It had been the first Christmas in a long time that Ginny came home and everything was wonderful. Or so she thought. The thing with being the baby of the family is that eventually, you will be left behind. All her brothers had graduated and gotten jobs, all but Fred and George working in some way either for the Ministry or alongside Dumbledore, trying to stop Voldemort. 

That Christmas had been simply awful. Harry, Ron and Hermione all went into hiding on the 28th of December. Dumbledore had a plan in the works, but for some reason it couldn't be put into action for at least one year. During this time, he wanted to be sure that the three most important people in his plan would be safe. So Ginny had said good-bye and wished them well. She didn't see Harry again until that June, at Dumbledore's funeral. Wormtail and several other Death Eaters had murdered him. Harry, Ron and Hermione were determined to carry out his plan as scheduled regardless. But Harry disappeared one night in July. He only left a note saying that he was going after Voldemort alone and that he wouldn't return until he'd killed him once and for all. The last lines of the note had been "Tell Ginny I love her. Gin, I'm more sorry than you'll ever know to leave. I promise I'll make it up to you every day if I return. All my love, Harry." He'd left her again.

Each day after that letter was complete torture for Ginny. He never wrote again and Ginny's heart ached so much with fear for him that she thought she'd never fell whole again.

About once a week a report would appear saying in the Daily Prophet saying that Voldemort had been sighted somewhere in the English countryside or in a dark eastern European forest. A few times someone claimed to have seen Harry, once they even reported him dead. That statement turned out to be thankfully untrue, but still Ginny mused that she would rather know where he was or know for sure even if he was dead than just sit around waiting and guessing. Ginny had moved on with life, she was working for the Ministry and lived in a small cottage near Ron and Hermione's house outside a quaint little English village.

_'Two years and still no word. Harry, why did you have to leave me? Didn't you even think of how much this would hurt me?' _Ginny was sitting at the table in her kitchen gazing out of her window one sunny summer day when a beautiful tawny owl soared into the room and landed gracefully on the table. Ginny pondered it a moment before reaching for the letter tied to its leg.

Written in dark blue ink, the only words on the yellowed parchment were:

'Go outside.'

Ginny thought on it a moment before giving into curiosity and stepping into the garden in the front of her cottage.

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Down the road from his melancholy sister, Ron Weasley was trying to keep his daughter from chewing on his wand. Hermione was in their room, napping. Ron knew that she'd been having a difficult time at work. She was in charge of helping the representatives of the Ministry and of Hogwarts make a final decision on Dumbledore's replacement. True, it had been several years since he'd died, but what with Voldemort's continually menacing presence in the country, people had been slightly busy. Minerva McGonagall was the current temporary headmistress, but the Ministry wanted to look into the matter a little more. It was driving Hermione insane.

Ron picked Catherine up from the floor where she had shifted her attention from her father's wand to Crookshanks' bushy tail. She whined a little, but very soon Ron had managed to rock her to sleep and she was soon dreaming about, well who knows what little toddlers dream about, cat's tails and trying to eat inedible things they find on the floor most likely. 

Ron sighed as he walked downstairs into the living room. He glanced around. There were a few of Catherine's stuffed animals lying by the sofa, several papers of Hermione's from office scattered on the desk, a report he needed to read from the Office of Magical Cooperation, a newspaper and a few books on the end table next to Fred and George's owl…wait Fred and George's owl? What on earth was it doing there? Normally Ron wouldn't have gotten so worked up about an owl. But lately with attacks and disappearances every day, most news was bad news. Ron crossed the room swiftly to the owl and read the note. He had to clap his hand to his mouth to keep from yelling with joy. The note contained only six words, but Ron was sure they were the best six words in the English language: 'Voldemort is dead. Harry's coming home.'

Ron was about to sprint up to Hermione to wake her up, but the frantic fluttering and hooting of another owl caught his attention. This owl was a beautiful tawny and he was sure he'd never seen it before. Somehow though, Ron knew that this owl bore better news than the first. With great anticipation he read the second note, this time he couldn't help but holler for joy and begin dancing around like a madman. The note that was causing Ron to act so strangely said simply this:

'Hello Ron, 

I know it's been a while. Firstly I want to apologize to you and Hermione for running out like that, I just had to face him alone. Secondly, I realize that I haven't seen you for a while and you may be mad at me, but I have a favor to ask of you. Will you be my best man? I probably should wait to ask you that until after I've asked your sister to marry me, so just hold your answer. In case you want to see me or know what she says, I'm over at her house now.

Your-hopefully-future-brother-in-law,

Harry 

As Ron began jumping around in circles for the third time, he heard Hermione's footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Ron! What on Earth has gotten into you? Do you want to wake Catherine?" Ron only smiled and handed her the letter. Two seconds later she had joined her husband in skipping about the house and shouting excitedly. Then she joined him in running upstairs to lift a crying Catherine from her crib. Apparently her crazy parents' yelling interrupted Catherine's dreams of chewing on Crookshanks' tail. Hermione scooped her up and ran outside with Ron. Their best friend was home at last.

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Meanwhile as Ginny had only received one mysterious two-word note, she was not so ecstatic. Slowly she strolled around the garden, peering left and right for any sign of the author of that odd letter. She was about to go back inside when someone's hands reached up and covered her eyes. At first Ginny was slightly startled, but then a blessedly familiar voice spoke from behind her.

"On the count of three, I'm going to move my hands. Look straight ahead, but don't turn around. One, two, three…" The hands moved quickly from Ginny's eyes to reveal a beautiful silver ring floating in front of her. There was one large diamond flanked by two glittering emeralds on the ring. Ginny tried to catch her breath as she reached for it and took the ring in her hands. Her heart had almost resumed its normal speed, when the voice from behind her spoke once more.

"So…is that a yes?" Ginny spun around so fast, she almost got dizzy. But the sight before her eyes now, made her head spin even more.

"Harry!" Ginny ran and threw herself into his open arms. Harry hugged her tightly as they both prayed for the moment to go on forever. "I thought…oh Harry, I was so afraid he'd killed you. You didn't write, please don't ever leave again." Ginny was crying softly now and only after a few seconds did she remember Harry's vow not to return until Voldemort was dead. "Harry…I mean, have you killed him then?"

Harry pulled away from her slightly and nodded. "He's gone for good, and so I think are most of the Death Eaters, but I've sent the Ministry a list of all the Death Eaters I ran into just in case." Harry paused and took a deep breath as he gently held Ginny's hand. "But I don't care about any of that right now. The only thing I want to know, is if you'll marry me." Ginny couldn't believe how much worry she saw in his eyes as he asked this. '_What? He thinks I'm going to say no?' _Ginny grinned as she placed the ring on her finger. 

"Of course I will." As Harry drew Ginny into a long, blissful kiss under the bright sunlight, Ron and Hermione finally made it to the top of the hill overlooking Ginny's cottage. They smiled down at the other happy couple. Ron grinned especially broadly.

"Well I guess she said yes, so now I get to as well."

"I told you they were in love." Hermione replied as they began the stroll down the hill and to Ginny's home.

"To tell you the truth, I knew it all along."

"Oh really?" Hermione chuckled.

"Well, you said they were in love, and you're always right, so of course I knew." Hermione just smiled as she thought to herself that some things never change. 

Some people are always right. Others will always argue with whoever will yell back and some people just won't ever give up no matter how bad the odds or how perilous the fight. But more constant and consistent than all the stubborn people in the world is love. And no matter what, love always triumphs in the end.

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Love can turn your world around, and that world will last forever.

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Now that you've been so kind as to read this, I hope you'll review. J Please J Thanks again to all of you for reading and have a great day!


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